The ear wasn't in much pain, and what little pain, and what little pain there was went away pretty quickly. You have to wear a hat for one month post-op, for sun protection. And you can only swim two months post-op. the swelling takes about six months to go away.
The rib pain took about six weeks to go away, and you shouldn't be doing contact sports or anything that makes the pain worse during that time.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Meeting the new ear
I only got to see my new ear for the first time 3 days post-op. here's what I saw:
Even though it was covered in blue ink and looked kind of wacky, I couldn't believe I had an ear. I had to keep it covered for another week, and had to wear a hat for a month after that.
It's been healing wonderfully and looks even more amazing now.
Today (01-11-12)
Even though it was covered in blue ink and looked kind of wacky, I couldn't believe I had an ear. I had to keep it covered for another week, and had to wear a hat for a month after that.
It's been healing wonderfully and looks even more amazing now.
Today (01-11-12)
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Post-op
The op was on Monday andI only left hospital on Thursday. That's 5 days including Sunday. Discovery would throw a hissy fit if that happened here :-P.
My new ear didn't hurt, it was the 3 ribs that hurt. And they hurt A LOT!! That should be no reason to not have the op though!! The trick is to get out of bed the day after theatre. I walked to the cafeteria for some yummy French hot chocolate and also in the garden a little bit. I also sat in the recliner that was beside my bed ( good for the back which hurts because you sleep funny because of the rib pain).
The TV only had one channel (in French) even though the clinique's website said they had 28 including international channels. The hospital did have wifi (or weefee as they call it in France). It cost 6€ a day, which is worth it since it's uncapped! I could then skype and go on facebook on dad's tablet. Being the local bookworm though I spent a lot of time reading.
The nurses are great even though you speak half English half French, and don't give you attitude like some SA nurses I've had. The one nurse was grumpy sometimes, but I think it was because she was on nights that whole week.
Discharge was simple, and there were no long queues. And they ladies at the front also organised us a taxi so that we didn't have to take the métro back to our apartment :-)
Drains
My new ear didn't hurt, it was the 3 ribs that hurt. And they hurt A LOT!! That should be no reason to not have the op though!! The trick is to get out of bed the day after theatre. I walked to the cafeteria for some yummy French hot chocolate and also in the garden a little bit. I also sat in the recliner that was beside my bed ( good for the back which hurts because you sleep funny because of the rib pain).
The TV only had one channel (in French) even though the clinique's website said they had 28 including international channels. The hospital did have wifi (or weefee as they call it in France). It cost 6€ a day, which is worth it since it's uncapped! I could then skype and go on facebook on dad's tablet. Being the local bookworm though I spent a lot of time reading.
The nurses are great even though you speak half English half French, and don't give you attitude like some SA nurses I've had. The one nurse was grumpy sometimes, but I think it was because she was on nights that whole week.
Discharge was simple, and there were no long queues. And they ladies at the front also organised us a taxi so that we didn't have to take the métro back to our apartment :-)
Drains
Feeling a little shakey
The night before surgery all was well and I wasn't too nervous. The nurses gave me atarax to sleep. It used to knock me out when I used to take urticaria (hives) which I got from augmentin, but it didn't work this time.
The next morning however I felt extremely nervous. This always happens when I'm in a hospital I've never been to before, it also happens when I have a new surgeon. This time there was both!!
*Insert breakdown here*
It also didn't help that mom and dad were not allowed anywhere near theatre. I had to say goodbye in the ward. Not. Cool. At clinique bizet the theatre level is only accessible by inserting a key into the lift.
I swear entering the theatre complex was like entering some kind of inner sanctum. Once you get to the theatre level the porter uses a special disk to enter the theatre complex.
I must say the theatre staff were incredibly friendly and that calmed me down. Better than some people That have looked after me here. Theatre was GINORMOUS!! Our theatres are not even close in size!! I don't know what they do with all that space!!
I was in theatre for SIX hours, because Dr Firmin had to deal with all the scar tissue around my microtia.
In France, you stay in recovery until you are fully awake, and your nurse is happy with your vitals. So much better than when ward nurses come check on you every 5 minutes. I was in recovery for two hours, even with a TIVA (total intravenous anaesthetic..,.done with Michael Jackson's milk :-P). I think it would have been longer without the TIVA. I had such a sweet nurse...and for some reason I remember she was pretty too :-). I was so out of it and I don't remember having pain in recovery.
The next morning however I felt extremely nervous. This always happens when I'm in a hospital I've never been to before, it also happens when I have a new surgeon. This time there was both!!
*Insert breakdown here*
It also didn't help that mom and dad were not allowed anywhere near theatre. I had to say goodbye in the ward. Not. Cool. At clinique bizet the theatre level is only accessible by inserting a key into the lift.
I swear entering the theatre complex was like entering some kind of inner sanctum. Once you get to the theatre level the porter uses a special disk to enter the theatre complex.
I must say the theatre staff were incredibly friendly and that calmed me down. Better than some people That have looked after me here. Theatre was GINORMOUS!! Our theatres are not even close in size!! I don't know what they do with all that space!!
I was in theatre for SIX hours, because Dr Firmin had to deal with all the scar tissue around my microtia.
In France, you stay in recovery until you are fully awake, and your nurse is happy with your vitals. So much better than when ward nurses come check on you every 5 minutes. I was in recovery for two hours, even with a TIVA (total intravenous anaesthetic..,.done with Michael Jackson's milk :-P). I think it would have been longer without the TIVA. I had such a sweet nurse...and for some reason I remember she was pretty too :-). I was so out of it and I don't remember having pain in recovery.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Draps and betadine
The reason you get admitted the day before is because of infection control.
Upon arrival at the ward, you are handed a red bottle of betadine. I remember thinking "HUH what is THIS for?? They usually only use it in theatre!!" It turns out that this will replace soap during your hospital stay. A nurse explained that I MUST bath AND wash my hair with it that night as well as the next morning before theatre (ew.). Also everytime I had a bath post-op I had to use it (I was only required to wash my hair with it those two times).
When we enquired about getting towels we were told to "utilisé le drap" (use the sheet!!!!!). The whole time in the hospital I had to use a sheet to dry myself. It was weird at the time, but dad figured it out quite quickly (being the germophobe he is :-P). Germs like to live in the fluffy bits of towels (it's true, I did my own research) and in a hospital setting, there can be lots of funky germs floating around!!
By the way Clinique Bizet has the best rating a French hospital can get for infection control. Clearly their different ways of doing things is working :-)
Betadine
Le drap
Upon arrival at the ward, you are handed a red bottle of betadine. I remember thinking "HUH what is THIS for?? They usually only use it in theatre!!" It turns out that this will replace soap during your hospital stay. A nurse explained that I MUST bath AND wash my hair with it that night as well as the next morning before theatre (ew.). Also everytime I had a bath post-op I had to use it (I was only required to wash my hair with it those two times).
When we enquired about getting towels we were told to "utilisé le drap" (use the sheet!!!!!). The whole time in the hospital I had to use a sheet to dry myself. It was weird at the time, but dad figured it out quite quickly (being the germophobe he is :-P). Germs like to live in the fluffy bits of towels (it's true, I did my own research) and in a hospital setting, there can be lots of funky germs floating around!!
By the way Clinique Bizet has the best rating a French hospital can get for infection control. Clearly their different ways of doing things is working :-)
Betadine
Le drap
Admission to Clinique Bizet
Dr Sokoloff will send you straight from his office to the hospital (two streets away). Remember, this is 2-3 days pre-op. the purpose of this visit is to sort out paperwork...so much nicer than here, where you stand in long queues on the day of admission!!
The people at admission do speak fairly good English so communication is no problem. This is also when you pay for your stay. Dr Firmin's PA will advise how much to pay.
In France, you are admitted at 16:00 the day before surgery. It is quite nice because you can get used to your surroundings so you don't feel too anxious on the day of surgery, because you will know how things work.
The people at admission do speak fairly good English so communication is no problem. This is also when you pay for your stay. Dr Firmin's PA will advise how much to pay.
In France, you are admitted at 16:00 the day before surgery. It is quite nice because you can get used to your surroundings so you don't feel too anxious on the day of surgery, because you will know how things work.
J'aime Paris!!!!!
IF you are able to afford to spend a few days pre-op in Paris, I would recommend it!!!! I LOVE Paris!!!!!
After surgery, the ribs are quite sore, so tourist attractions are not good because of the loooong queues you have to stand and walk in.
I went to futuroscope a day after discharge, and while I loved it, I was in a LOT of pain and my rib incision started to ooze. Not. Good.
If you don't have money for this, after the op I would recommend taking slow short walks in the area where you're staying. Walking around Paris is something special!!
Eiffel Tower (yes I took the photo!!)
Futuroscope (note the bandage!)
Sacre cœur
Arc de triomphe
After surgery, the ribs are quite sore, so tourist attractions are not good because of the loooong queues you have to stand and walk in.
I went to futuroscope a day after discharge, and while I loved it, I was in a LOT of pain and my rib incision started to ooze. Not. Good.
If you don't have money for this, after the op I would recommend taking slow short walks in the area where you're staying. Walking around Paris is something special!!
Eiffel Tower (yes I took the photo!!)
Futuroscope (note the bandage!)
Sacre cœur
Arc de triomphe
The French-Russian with the awesome bike
Dr Firmin works with a great anaesthetist by the name of Dr sokoloff. You have to speak half English half French with him, but the guy knows his stuff and will look after you / your child well.
In France things work a little differently. You are required to see the anaesthetist at LEAST 48 hours prior to surgery. I quite like this, because you are less anxious and so will remember all the questions you need to ask, AND you won't have to rush through medical history.
Also before leaving for France Dr Firmin's office will ask that you get some bloods and a chest x-ray done. It's standard practice there and it is to make sure that all is well when you go to theatre :-)
Now, about that bike... He had a bicycle in his office that looked a little different to your typical bike (it looked quite cool actually!!). We asked about it and he said it was ELECTRIC!! Too cool!! I want one... Where does one buy one in SA?? Hmmmm...
In France things work a little differently. You are required to see the anaesthetist at LEAST 48 hours prior to surgery. I quite like this, because you are less anxious and so will remember all the questions you need to ask, AND you won't have to rush through medical history.
Also before leaving for France Dr Firmin's office will ask that you get some bloods and a chest x-ray done. It's standard practice there and it is to make sure that all is well when you go to theatre :-)
Now, about that bike... He had a bicycle in his office that looked a little different to your typical bike (it looked quite cool actually!!). We asked about it and he said it was ELECTRIC!! Too cool!! I want one... Where does one buy one in SA?? Hmmmm...
Parlez-vous Français?? / Do you speak French??
If you are going to Paris for an ear op, I would suggest that you learn a little bit of French. Nothing too complicated. Just hello, how are you, my name is.. etc. if you start speaking English straight away, chances are the Parisian will ignore you. If you start with bonjour comment allez-vous they will probably gladly help you if you speak English afterwards. The best way to learn is if you get the 24/7 tutor app for your apple device. I'm sure there's an android version as well.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
My sincerest apologies!!
I was supposed to update this in Paris, but if you've been there you'll know there's LOTS to do there (even post-op!).
Then I planned to update when I got back, but grandad was sick and in ICU for a long time (he's all good now).
Then I was in and out of hospital for iron infusions and a laparoscopy treat endometriosis (and a bleed after that surgery).
You'll be glad to know I have no ops planned till December 17th (second ear op!). SO I will be updating from now on and will fill you in on Paris and the ear operation :-)
Then I planned to update when I got back, but grandad was sick and in ICU for a long time (he's all good now).
Then I was in and out of hospital for iron infusions and a laparoscopy treat endometriosis (and a bleed after that surgery).
You'll be glad to know I have no ops planned till December 17th (second ear op!). SO I will be updating from now on and will fill you in on Paris and the ear operation :-)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The parent doesn't decide, the CHILD does!
MOST of the time, parents know what is best, and what is right for you. However I don't think this applies when it comes to deciding whether to go forward with ear reconstruction. The reason is that the ear is a big part of who you are, and what you look like.
If a parent choses a method of creating an ear (medpor, prosthetic or rib cartilage) the child may be very unhappy with the result and resent the parent. Also, both the medpor and rib cartilage involves a large amount of theatre time as well as a fairly lengthy recovery.
I think parents can help to guide a child in their decision, and can help by doing research on the various methods, as well as giv their opinion as to what will suit their child best, but the child should be allowed to choose. I also think that families should only start thinking about reconstruction after the child turns 9, as the rib cartilage procedure can only be done after age 9.
I first heard about reconstruction at age 5 while watching carte blanche. I think it was the first ear reconstruction done in South Africa. At the time, I didn't want to have the op because the girl shown had to have her entire face and head covered in bandages for 3 weeks. About 10 years later, I decided that I did want an ear, and we went to see the Doc featured on the program, Prof Anil Madaree. He explained that the ear featured on the program was a medpor ear, and he stopped doing them because he was unhappy with the results, and the risk of infection is quite high. He said that he did not do the rib cartilage procedure, but he felt that that was the way to go, and he recommended four doctors and said Dr Firmin was the best, so off we went to see her in April 2009.
I was very happy with her work and felt confident that she would do a great job............. until a plastic surgeon mentioned prosthetic ears. Which just involved a little operation to insert magnets under the skin to secure the ear. I then decided that this might be a better option as I had already had 21 ops and the big ear op scared me. I was stuck on wanting a prosthesis for a few months, but after a lot of soul searching, deciding I had enough foreign objects attached to my skull (baha implant and V.P. shunt) and also a lot of research, I decided I wanted an ear that was part of my body. So back to Dr Firmin in April 2011 where I asked a lot more questions and also got her to explain the procedures............ rib cartilage it will be!! I am happy with the decision I made and am positive I will be very happy with the results. My parents did give me some input, but the decision was ultimately mine.
If a parent choses a method of creating an ear (medpor, prosthetic or rib cartilage) the child may be very unhappy with the result and resent the parent. Also, both the medpor and rib cartilage involves a large amount of theatre time as well as a fairly lengthy recovery.
I think parents can help to guide a child in their decision, and can help by doing research on the various methods, as well as giv their opinion as to what will suit their child best, but the child should be allowed to choose. I also think that families should only start thinking about reconstruction after the child turns 9, as the rib cartilage procedure can only be done after age 9.
I first heard about reconstruction at age 5 while watching carte blanche. I think it was the first ear reconstruction done in South Africa. At the time, I didn't want to have the op because the girl shown had to have her entire face and head covered in bandages for 3 weeks. About 10 years later, I decided that I did want an ear, and we went to see the Doc featured on the program, Prof Anil Madaree. He explained that the ear featured on the program was a medpor ear, and he stopped doing them because he was unhappy with the results, and the risk of infection is quite high. He said that he did not do the rib cartilage procedure, but he felt that that was the way to go, and he recommended four doctors and said Dr Firmin was the best, so off we went to see her in April 2009.
I was very happy with her work and felt confident that she would do a great job............. until a plastic surgeon mentioned prosthetic ears. Which just involved a little operation to insert magnets under the skin to secure the ear. I then decided that this might be a better option as I had already had 21 ops and the big ear op scared me. I was stuck on wanting a prosthesis for a few months, but after a lot of soul searching, deciding I had enough foreign objects attached to my skull (baha implant and V.P. shunt) and also a lot of research, I decided I wanted an ear that was part of my body. So back to Dr Firmin in April 2011 where I asked a lot more questions and also got her to explain the procedures............ rib cartilage it will be!! I am happy with the decision I made and am positive I will be very happy with the results. My parents did give me some input, but the decision was ultimately mine.
Monday, March 12, 2012
No-one makes ears like Françoise Firmin!!
There are a few ways to make an ear. One could go the prosthetic route; this involves having a prosthetist making an ear, and then having magnets surgically implanted for the ear to clip on to. I considered this, but decided I wanted an ear that was part of my body and that I did not have to clip on every day. You can also make an ear using medpor (which is a synthetic material) or you can have an ear made from your rib cartilage, which is what I am having done.
Why I dont like medpor: It is a hard material, and doesn't feel like an ear. Medpor is most commonly used as a bone graft, and I in fact have a medpor implant in my jaw, and it works very well as a substitute for bone. When people get an ear reconstruction, they do so for aesthetic reasons. In my opinion, it does not look like an ear. To me it looks like something that was made outside the body by a human and then inserted under the skin, which is exactly what a medpor ear is.
On to using rib cartilage. This involves a number of ops. Some doctors do this reconstruction using 4 ops, while others use 2. My surgeon does it using 2. In the first op, cartilage is harvested from the bottom 3 ribs (if the microtia is on the left she uses the ribs from the left side, and if it's on the right, she uses the ribs on the right). Before the op she would have drawn the good ear onto a transparency. This becomes her framework. She flips the transparency, so that it looks like a good ear would look on the side of the microtia. She then carves the cartilage according to her transparency. This is then placed under a pocket of skin on the microtia side. The skin is then suctioned, and 2 special drains are inserted inder the skin. This creates a vacuum. At this point in time the ear looks like an ear but it is flat as it has not been raised. In the first op, a piece of cartilage would have been harvested then put back in the body for use during op number 2. In the second op, that piece of cartilage is removed from the rib cage then placed under the ear. Then Dr Firmin removes a thin layer of skin from above where the ear sits. This skin is then used to cover that little piece of cartilage. Then as the French would say: Voila a new ear!! This ear looks like it is part of the body, and feels like an ear. Also if you would like it pierced, Dr Firmin will do that for you while you're in theatre :-D
There are a few good doctors in the world that make these ears, but in MY opinion Dr Firmin is the BEST!! I have looked at quite a few other doctors' work, but they dont come close to Dr Firmin's work. I think this has to do with her training, as well as her determination to make good ears. First she went to Dr Burt Brent in California, who makes good ears, but does the reconstruction in 4 ops. Dr Firmin didn't like the fact that reconstruction was done in 4 ops and so went to train with Dr Satoru Nagata in Japan who does reconstruction in 2 ops. Personally I think his ears look a bit dodgy, but Dr Firmin had the technique from Dr Brent, and just went to learn what to do in each op. Now Dr Firmin does it in 2 ops and uses some of Dr Brent's techniques that she came up with herself, after practising on many potatoes (yes REALLY!!)
I don't just like her ears, I like her as a person. As you can see, I already know what she is going to do in theatre. I don't like docs who don't tell you exactly what they are going to do in theatre. She is also a very warm person with a wonderful sense of humour, and she makes people feel at ease. I also like the fact that she admits that there can be complications sometimes, but she says thats why she keeps patients in the hospital for 3-4 days. She also assures you that she has seen every complication and knows how to overcome them. And might I add that she does 300 ear ops a year!! Oh, and she has gorgeous earrings!! :-P
Why I dont like medpor: It is a hard material, and doesn't feel like an ear. Medpor is most commonly used as a bone graft, and I in fact have a medpor implant in my jaw, and it works very well as a substitute for bone. When people get an ear reconstruction, they do so for aesthetic reasons. In my opinion, it does not look like an ear. To me it looks like something that was made outside the body by a human and then inserted under the skin, which is exactly what a medpor ear is.
On to using rib cartilage. This involves a number of ops. Some doctors do this reconstruction using 4 ops, while others use 2. My surgeon does it using 2. In the first op, cartilage is harvested from the bottom 3 ribs (if the microtia is on the left she uses the ribs from the left side, and if it's on the right, she uses the ribs on the right). Before the op she would have drawn the good ear onto a transparency. This becomes her framework. She flips the transparency, so that it looks like a good ear would look on the side of the microtia. She then carves the cartilage according to her transparency. This is then placed under a pocket of skin on the microtia side. The skin is then suctioned, and 2 special drains are inserted inder the skin. This creates a vacuum. At this point in time the ear looks like an ear but it is flat as it has not been raised. In the first op, a piece of cartilage would have been harvested then put back in the body for use during op number 2. In the second op, that piece of cartilage is removed from the rib cage then placed under the ear. Then Dr Firmin removes a thin layer of skin from above where the ear sits. This skin is then used to cover that little piece of cartilage. Then as the French would say: Voila a new ear!! This ear looks like it is part of the body, and feels like an ear. Also if you would like it pierced, Dr Firmin will do that for you while you're in theatre :-D
There are a few good doctors in the world that make these ears, but in MY opinion Dr Firmin is the BEST!! I have looked at quite a few other doctors' work, but they dont come close to Dr Firmin's work. I think this has to do with her training, as well as her determination to make good ears. First she went to Dr Burt Brent in California, who makes good ears, but does the reconstruction in 4 ops. Dr Firmin didn't like the fact that reconstruction was done in 4 ops and so went to train with Dr Satoru Nagata in Japan who does reconstruction in 2 ops. Personally I think his ears look a bit dodgy, but Dr Firmin had the technique from Dr Brent, and just went to learn what to do in each op. Now Dr Firmin does it in 2 ops and uses some of Dr Brent's techniques that she came up with herself, after practising on many potatoes (yes REALLY!!)
I don't just like her ears, I like her as a person. As you can see, I already know what she is going to do in theatre. I don't like docs who don't tell you exactly what they are going to do in theatre. She is also a very warm person with a wonderful sense of humour, and she makes people feel at ease. I also like the fact that she admits that there can be complications sometimes, but she says thats why she keeps patients in the hospital for 3-4 days. She also assures you that she has seen every complication and knows how to overcome them. And might I add that she does 300 ear ops a year!! Oh, and she has gorgeous earrings!! :-P
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Intro
My name is Aneesa, and I was born on 11 April 1993. I have a microtia on the left side due to Goldenhar Syndrome. On the 2nd of April, I will have the first of 2 reconstructive surgeries on my ear. Even though I am from South Africa, I am having my op in Paris. This is because no-one in South Africa makes good ears that actually look like ears.
I have chosen Dr Françoise Firmin in Paris (yes, FRANCE!) to do my surgeries. Dr Firmin does occasionally operate in South Africa, but she refuses to operate on me here. With Goldenhar, one side of the face (in my case the left side) is underdeveloped. The bones in my left cheek are severely underdeveloped. In order for ear reconstruction to happen, there needs to be a foundation for the ear. In my case, there was no bone in the place where the ear is going to go, and last July I had a fat graft which will provide the foundation for my new ear (it also improved my facial symmetry). Dr Firmin feels that because my case is more complicated than most, she would like her staff to look after me. I'm not complaining, I get to have a two week holiday in PARIS!!!!!!!!!!!!
I created this blog so that family and friends can follow my journey even though they are not in France. I also created this blog so that parents who are considering ear reconstruction using rib cartilage can see what what the surgery (I hope to get some pics!) and recovery is like.
what we are starting with:
I have chosen Dr Françoise Firmin in Paris (yes, FRANCE!) to do my surgeries. Dr Firmin does occasionally operate in South Africa, but she refuses to operate on me here. With Goldenhar, one side of the face (in my case the left side) is underdeveloped. The bones in my left cheek are severely underdeveloped. In order for ear reconstruction to happen, there needs to be a foundation for the ear. In my case, there was no bone in the place where the ear is going to go, and last July I had a fat graft which will provide the foundation for my new ear (it also improved my facial symmetry). Dr Firmin feels that because my case is more complicated than most, she would like her staff to look after me. I'm not complaining, I get to have a two week holiday in PARIS!!!!!!!!!!!!
I created this blog so that family and friends can follow my journey even though they are not in France. I also created this blog so that parents who are considering ear reconstruction using rib cartilage can see what what the surgery (I hope to get some pics!) and recovery is like.
what we are starting with:
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